Vitamin B12 treatment for delayed sleep phase syndrome: A multi‐center double‐blind study

• Published in: Psychiatry and clinical neurosciences Vol. 51; no. 5; pp. 275 - 279
• Main Authors: OKAWA, M., TAKAHASHI, K., EGASHIRA, K., FURUTA, H., HIGASHITANI, Y., HIGUCHI, T., ICHIKAWA, H., ICHIMARU, Y., INOUE, Y., ISHIZUKA, Y., ITO, N., KAMEI, K., KANEKO, M., KIM, Y., KOHSAKA, M., KOMORI, T., KOTORII, T., MATSUMOTO, M., MISHIMA, K., MIZUKI, Y., MORIMOTO, K., NAGAYAMA, H., OHTA, T., OKAMOTO, N., SAKAMOTO, K., SHIRAKAWA, S., SUGITA, Y., TAMIYA, S., YAMADA, N., YAMADERA, H., YAMAZAKI, J., TAKAHASHI, S.
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01-10-1997; Blackwell Publishing
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Biological and medical sciences; delayed sleep phase syndrome; Delayed sleep syndrome; Double-Blind Method; Female; Humans; Japan; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Miscellaneous; Neuropharmacology; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Sleep Wake Disorders - drug therapy; Sleep Wake Disorders - psychology; sleep‐log; Treatment; Vitamin B 12 - blood; Vitamin B 12 - therapeutic use; Vitamin B12; Vitamin B12 (methylcobalamin); Human; Sleep disorder; Chemotherapy; Treatment; Sleep wake cycle; Cyanocobalamin
• ISSN: 1323-1316; 1440-1819
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1440-1819.1997.tb03198.x

The active form of vitamin B12 (methylcobalamin) has been reported to be effective on sleep‐wake rhythm disorders. Previous studies, however, were performed under open trial, and the effect of vitamin B12 has not been properly evaluated. The aim of this double‐blind study was to investigate the efficacy of methylcobalamin on delayed sleep phase syndrome (DSPS). Methylcobalamin (3 mg/day) or placebo was administered for 4 weeks. The subjects were 50 patients with DSPS aged 13–55 years (26.8 ± 1.3), 27 of whom received the active drug while 23 received the placebo. No significant differences were observed between the 2 groups in subjective evaluations of mood or drowsiness during the daytime or in night sleep by sleep‐log evaluation. These results indicate that 3 mg methylcobalamin administered over 4 weeks is not an effective treatment for DSPS.